One of the great things about being an author is that you get to be a bit… hmm…. let’s call it, ‘eccentric’. It is one of the parts of the job I truly delight in – and probably the bit I am best at. Certainly I’m far better at being a bit weird than I am at writing books, but I digress. One of the things I get asked sometimes, apart from, ‘Are you mad?’ is where I get the names from.

Well, clearly we authors can make some of them up, like The Pan of Hamgee, while others are normal, like Ruth or Lucy or a bit comedically untrendy, names normally associated with the elderly, for example, like Gladys and Ada. Then again, judging by the amount of Masies, Ediths, Dots and Daisey’s under ten there are now, and the rate the real Gladys and Adas are dying off, there will probably be lots of toddlers and babies named Gladys and Ada before long. Christened by people too young to remember that no-one under 70 was called Gladys or Ada for many years.

In other instances, if you’re looking to name characters you can turn to the world around us… things like this:

Yes, Philip Softone got his name from some lightbulbs. Ever since I saw the first advert for these in about 1989 I have been giggling quietly to myself about who Philip Softone is and wondering what he is like.

Meanwhile his assistant…

I know, I know… I really should grow up. 😉

There must be a way I can work Clancy Docwra in there somewhere – just because it’s such a jolly silly name (sorry Clancy, if you’re reading this). Indeed, I reckon I may have to write some wild west punk specifically for him, because with a name like Clancy, he can only be a sheriff or a sharp shooter right… or do you think he might be a card shark? Hmm not sure.

Another rich source is place names. When I’m driving along and I see signposts to places like Leighton Bromswold and Carlton Scrope I immediately start wondering who they are, what they do and what they’re like. It’s easy to pick and choose, too. You can go for something off a random signpost sighting, like Carlton Scrope, or you can choose something more simple like Alton, Ashington, Norton, Dacre, Derby or even Troon. You can put them together to make first names and surnames: Alton Troon, Norton Dacre etc. If you want to get seriously wacky you can go off piste and try another country.

So if you’re about to name your main character Kyle, hold up! Why not see if there’s an interestingly named town near you?

21 responses to “Secrets of the K’Barthan Series unlocked.”

There’s a village in the Forest of Dean called Redmarley D’Abitot. It was a generally accepted truth in my family that ‘Red’ Marley D’Abitot was a fearsome pirate, the scourge of the Cotswolds, nicknamed for both his beard and the blood on his hands.

This is very appropriate as I realised yesterday that five people in my current WIP have names beginning with S (Simon, Steve, Sarah, Sandra and another Sandra) and my lead male was Daniel – the baddy’s name in another of my books! For my kids’ fantasy I used latin bird names (just because there happened to be a book on the table). Your way is much more interesting.

The Princelings series characters are mostly named after guinea pigs – mine and other people’s – but sometimes placenames and other associations creep in – King Lynn ruled from Castle Wash, for example. The new scifi series started with old friends from college (well, they’re as old as me, anyway) and expanded to include things that jumped into my head – where on earth did Arko Fanwester come from, for goodness’ sake?

And can I tag you for the Work in Progress Blog tour? You’ll enjoy it, I promise 🙂

That sounds like one that I’d pick up from my other source: hymns. Chatterton Dix, as in Nigel in book 2 is a hymn writer. I think he wrote the tune to Now Thank We All Our God but don’t quote me on that.

Hello, I just wanted to let you know that I have downloaded that Twitter book you recommended so thanks a ton for that. People are starting to follow me and I have no idea how they are finding me, so that’s nice! I did look for an email address for you on here to email and let you know, but I am probably being a doofus because I can’t find one!
Thanks again 🙂

K’Barthan Trilogy on Amazon UK

Few Are Chosen in paperback (click image):
Kindle version:Few Are Chosen (The K'Barthan Trilogy)
The Wrong Stuff in paperback (click image):
Kindle version:
The Wrong Stuff, K'Barthan Trilogy: Part 2
A Splendid Salmagundi, contains a short and a poem from me, and some cracking stuff from some other, distinguished authors who you may even have heard of...
Indie Bites: Fourteen diverse tales showcasing the talent bubbling away in the indie scene.

Follow Blog via Email

Anotherward Winning Author.

Indie Book Bargains Featured Author

Awesome Indies Approved

Few Are Chosen, K'Barthan Trilogy: No 1 has been awared the Awesome Indies Seal of Approval

Award Winning Author (Phnark).

A group of London teenagers judging the Wishing Shelf Book Awards awarded a silver award to Few Are Chosen, K'Barthan Trilogy: Part 1. Escape From B-Movie Hell was also voted a winner - of a bronze medal this time - in 2015.